


to bereave

by kingseagull



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, au in which sans falls in the core instead of gaster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 10:43:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14543001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingseagull/pseuds/kingseagull
Summary: For the third night this week, W.D. Gaster had stuck around the bar til closing time, and Grillby was acutely aware that it was starting to become a problem.





	to bereave

Sounds of shuffling shoes fill the saloon as lonely souls slowly start heading home before sunrise. Grillby knew he’d most likely have to stick around for a couple more hours after closing, if the mess on the bar counter was enough to judge by, but right now that was the least of his troubles. There was one more customer still sitting in front of him, remnants of his previous drinks surrounding him as he signed wildly, almost knocking over a glass or two.

For the third night this week, W.D. Gaster had stuck around the bar til closing time, and Grillby was acutely aware that it was starting to become a problem.

The former Royal Scientist continued to talk, completely unaware that Grillby had been lost in his thoughts for almost half the conversation now. Shaking his head, he absentmindedly starts picking up stray glasses from the counter and looks towards his companion.

“ _I must admit,_ ” he signs, “ _the only reason I come here so often is because he did._ ” He picks up the drink in front of him, staring into the liquid as he swirls it around the glass before taking a large swig of it. The empty glass collides with the countertop with a quick thud and Grillby is almost worried he’d have to pick up broken glass tonight as well.

“ _He,_ ” Gaster’s hands stumble for a moment, “ _he spoke so fondly of you as well. I nearly grew jealous._ ” Grillby hums, though truthfully he had no idea what the man was talking about.

He moves around the back bar, wiping down the area surrounding Gaster as if he wasn’t even there. A particularly stubborn spot catches him and he holds up a hand to signal Gaster to stop. He blinks, as if confused by the gesture, but does so and allows Grillby to pour his attention to the counter. Once he’s satisfied with the results, he nods to show he is watching again and runs the rag under the sink.

He taps his hand on the counter, as if he was trying to remember what he was going to say, then quickly recovers and signs, “ _He said you’d serve him bottles of ketchup of all things._ ” Static dripping from his mouth, Gaster laughs a short, terrifying laugh and Grillby cringes at the sound. “ _Then you would drag him back home at night, such a gentleman~_ ” Gaster’s grin is on the verge of manic as he rolls his head to the side, reminiscing in past events unknown to the barkeep.

“ _Oh- he said his brother, Papyrus, would get so mad-_ ”

Grillby rushes to cut him off. “Papyrus doesn’t have a brother.”

The lights in the scientist’s eyes go out. He seems to recoil in on himself for a moment, almost like the wind was knocked out of him. Gaster leans against the counter on his elbow, resting his chin on a closed fist. Before the words even get out, Grillby can already feel the grating on his soul.

“O̸͐̊͘ͅ-̴̯̣̆o̸͎̦̽h̸̶̠̣̯̬̓̏̈́̑͘͘͢ͅ.̷̴̨̛͓͇̜̹̓̂͜͢.̵̪͚͇̋͑̆.̶̜̫̔̒̚ͅ ̴̛͕͛̚ͅy̴͈͌e̶͉̊̕s̸̥̈́̋.̸͚̓̒̄͜͜ ̶̙́T̶̮̺͍̒ḧ̴̭͇̬́å̸̭̗̙t̶̶̙̼̺̲̻̝̓̈́͗͢͝'̵̨͓̙̾͊s̷͖̻̎̾ ̴̯̟̒̐r̶̴̭̣̝̙͆̃̒̃͐͢į̷̷̯̼̥̮̋̉̐́̎͢g̵̡͕̺͗͛̊h̴̛̥͑̓ţ̴̵͙̳̫̹͗̑͐͢͜͝,” Gaster says just above a whisper, static filling the room like a radio. Grillby can hardly hear him over the pounding in his head. He considers covering his ears, but he knew it would have no effect.

Plus, he didn’t even have any ears to cover.

The static grows louder louder as he continues,“Ỹ̴̡̫̦o̸̫͂̿̓̅ȗ̸̡̬́͝.̵̶̬̪̯̺͇̬̇̐͜͢.̴̱̮̜̅̾̚͠.̸͚͈̼̗̆̓ ̶͇̈̚ẏ̸̨͖ȏ̴̟͖̊̓͠u̴͚̬̔ ̴͎̯̏͜ͅd̶̡̩̐̆ȍ̸̼̮͎̪̉̀n̴͕̏̋'̴͕͇̝͌̓̎ẗ̸̰͆ ̶̦̠͕̈́r̴͈̝̬͌͛̚e̴̘͕͋̍̿ͅm̵̡̧̭̐ė̴̦̃͜m̴̺̀b̶̸̸͕͔̲̘̳̼͔̝̠̎̄͘͢͢͠ȩ̷̠͒̕ͅr̴̯̜̐͂͒̚.̸̝̜̜͇͌.” Tears were beginning to well up in his sockets. Gaster’s other hand joins the one near his face, adjusting them to attempt hold back the sobs that threatened to escape him.

“H̷͍̬̊͠ö̶̰́̈͝w̵̪͚̃̇ ̸͓̦͆̽̐s̴͔̝̉i̵̧̭̥͑͒ľ̵̷̢̯͇̾̿͢͝l̴̮̬̏ŷ̷̭̻̬̿͆ ̸̢̉͒ǫ̶̮̿f̵̷̝͍̱̜̳̈́̈͢ ̴̨͎̭̂m̸͚̤̊͝e̸̞̓̑ ̶̟͕́͋͋͜t̸̜̲̂̉͘o̵̸̢̺͔̤̭͓͒͢͝ ̷̝̪̇f̶̝̩͔͒̎͌o̸̰̲͑r̵̦̪͗g̷͙̫̗̀͌̂ę̷̱͐͝t̷̷̰̞̙͉̼͔̋̔͒̕̚͢.̴̛̣̫͊.” Gaster’s hands were covering his mouth, but it did nothing to drown out the steadily growing cacophony of harsh noise surrounding them. Grillby can feel his flames flare off into sparks and he knows he has to put a stop to this.

He reaches a gloved hand forward and rests it on the man’s shoulder. The noise ceases immediately. Rubbing his thumb against his collarbone in what he hopes is a comforting gesture, Grillby sighs through the area where his nose would be. After a moment, he cuts through the welcomed silence like a knife and says,

 

“Let’s get you home Gaster.”

 

He soaks in the words for a minute before nodding, placing his hands on the counter to push himself up with. Grillby quickly moves to the other side of of the bar to help his inebriated friend get up. He throws his arm over the barkeep’s shoulder and leans against him, smoke sputtering out of the top of Grillby’s head as he adjusts to support his weight. Step by agonizing step, the two make it out of the bar and into the snow. He contemplates not even checking, but walks towards where the Riverperson normally parks their gondola, letting out a sigh of relief when he sees the familiar indigo hood.

One short ride to New Home later and Grillby is reaching into Gaster’s coat pocket where he knows his keys would be. They make their way over to the cot in the bedroom, which Gaster immediately collapses onto. With a sigh, Grillby moves to go to leave the room when a hand on his wrist stops him. He turns to the bed and sees Gaster looking at him with quilt ridden eyes. With the hand that wasn’t holding onto Grillby, he raises it to his chin then moves it down and towards him.

“ _Thank you._ ”

Grillby nods, gently removing his hand from Gaster’s grip and returning the gesture. He goes into the kitchen to fetch a glass of water and two aspirin. By the time he goes back into his room Gaster is fast asleep. He puts the items on his nightstand and leaves silently, turning off the lights as he goes. As he walks back to the riverside, he tries not to dwell on the state of Gaster’s apartment.

The door closes with a click and Grillby gets to work immediately. He had patrons to serve the next day, and after all, the place wouldn’t clean itself.

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by a [comic heyshakealeg on tumblr made a while ago!](https://heyshakealeg.tumblr.com/post/166460666683/like-demorrt-arts-remember-when-you-had-that-au) i whole heartedly suggest giving it a look because im absolutely in love with it  
> also i threw in some fun headcanons, such as gaster signs to communicate cause if he uses his voice itll do THAT. i dont remember where i saw that but if that was your hc i love you :*
> 
> i dont know what made me more sad writing this fic or the title i gave it
> 
>  
> 
> [also follow me on twitter](https://twitter.com/tolucagraveyard)


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